depend

[ dih-pend ]

/ dɪˈpɛnd /

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See synonyms for: depend / depended / depending on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to rely; place trust (usually followed by on or upon): You may depend on the accuracy of the report.

to rely for support, maintenance, help, etc. (usually followed by on or upon): Children depend on their parents.

to be conditioned or contingent (usually followed by on or upon): His success here depends upon effort and ability.

to be undetermined or pending: I may go to Europe or I may not, it all depends.

Grammar. (of a word or other linguistic form) to be subordinate to another linguistic form in the same construction; to form a part of a construction other than the head.

to hang down; be suspended (usually followed by from): The chandelier depends from the ceiling of the ballroom.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of depend

1375–1425; late Middle English dependen<Old French dependre<Latin dēpendere to hang down, equivalent to dē-de- + pendere to hang

OTHER WORDS FROM depend

in·ter·de·pend, verb (used without object)re·de·pend, verb (used without object)self-de·pend·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use depend in a sentence

The company also acknowledged that its success depends on its ability to “provide a safe online environment” for children.
Daily Crunch: Roblox is going public|Anthony Ha|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
There could be a fair amount of money on the line, depending on your situation.
Saturday is the final deadline to get your CARES Act $1,200 stimulus check|Lance Lambert|November 20, 2020|Fortune
Players become eligible for the Rule 5 draft after four or five professional seasons, depending on the age they were when signed.
Nationals protect Steven Fuentes, Yasel Antuna and Joan Adon from Rule 5 draft|Jesse Dougherty|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
They can roughly measure distance, but we know your actual exposure risk changes a lot depending on whether you are indoors or outdoors, and whether you and the person you’re exposed to are wearing masks.
A covid-fighting tool is buried in your phone. Turn it on.|Geoffrey Fowler|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

The cook time will depend on the heat of your fire — I got the best results putting the pot on once the biggest flames had started to die down a bit.
This cocktail can keep you warm around the fire pit — and you can make it there, too|M. Carrie Allan|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Prevalence depends on context, and sometimes unique advantages outweigh the genetic costs.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Russia depends on oil exports for almost 70 percent of its foreign-currency earnings and almost 50 percent of its annual budget.
How Crimea Crashed the Russian Economy|Anna Nemtsova|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These are important years for us both, years on which much already depends.
Decoding Vincent Van Gogh’s Tempestuous, Fragile Mind|Nick Mafi|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So it depends on what side of the track you want to come from.
‘No Regrets’: Peter Jackson Says Goodbye to Middle-Earth|Alex Suskind|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But look, it depends on how old I am [laughs], and whether I have the energy anymore.
‘No Regrets’: Peter Jackson Says Goodbye to Middle-Earth|Alex Suskind|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Woman is mistress of the art of completely embittering the life of the person on whom she depends.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
It will be remembered that pitch depends upon the rapidity of the sound waves or vibrations.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Recognition of the pneumococcus depends upon its morphology, the fact that it is Gram-staining, and the presence of a capsule.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
In disease, the amount of solids depends mainly upon the activity of metabolism and the ability of the kidneys to excrete.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It depends upon the fact that bile acids lower surface tension.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for depend

depend

/ (dɪˈpɛnd) /

verb (intr)

(foll by on or upon) to put trust (in); rely (on); be sure (of)

(usually foll by on or upon; often with it as subject) to be influenced or determined (by); be resultant (from)whether you come or not depends on what father says; it all depends on you

(foll by on or upon) to rely (on) for income, support, etc

(foll by from) rare to hang down; be suspended

to be undecided or pending

Word Origin for depend

C15: from Old French dependre, from Latin dēpendēre to hang from, from de- + pendēre to hang

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

depend

Origin of depend

OTHER WORDS FROM depend

Words related to depend

How to use depend in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for depend

Word Origin for depend